


over the valley

by Fluoradine



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, Hanging Out, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Some Plot, Trust, Trust Issues, a lil angst on the side but not much, related to plot somehow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-04-01 11:28:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13997340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluoradine/pseuds/Fluoradine
Summary: Even though Zenyatta hasn't known Genji for very long, he knows that becoming a friend and mentor to Genji will not be a task easily accomplished. But with spring comes change, and luckily for the both of them, it's exactly what they've been looking for.





	over the valley

**Author's Note:**

> god sorry its been 50 years since i put out some good content.......love my robots forever and hope you enjoy!

Genji Shimada was not a patient person. Waiting and staying calm were two things he could do separately, but not at once. It was most likely just in his nature, or he might’ve learned the behaviour over his years of travel, but it was a personality trait hard to miss when being anywhere near the cyborg. 

Zenyatta had figured it out soon after they met. Three weeks ago, he’d been listening to him agonize over a leg he’d broken in a long fall and further strained while dragging himself towards the closest village. Apparently, the harmony orb he’d given him couldn’t ease the pain, or at least wasn’t doing it fast enough, leading to complaints as Genji explained who he was in very brief, very vague detail. 

While Genji hadn’t learned the virtues of patience and peace of mind since then, he had been able to learn the need for a change in his life. He’d disregarded Zenyatta’s suggestion to stay and grow beyond anger and insecurity at first, but started to come around just as the nights got shorter and the temperature began to rise. So little time had passed since, and Zenyatta was already finding many ways to introduce him to the path he’d agreed to follow. 

“Will we be there soon?” Genji asked, after holding the question back for exactly half an hour. Normally he asked just minutes after leaving the deserted monastery the two called home, but he’d been pushing the time further back with every trip Zenyatta took him out for.

“Eventually,” he answered. “The trek downwards won’t last us longer than three hours. I have often done it myself as a day’s journey.”

“A full day? That means both ways, right?” Genji asked, toying with the smaller sword in his hilt: a pure steel blade with more than a fair share deal of wear. Even though he insisted it was one of his most prized possessions, the way he swung it around made it seem more like a kitchen knife than a weapon of choice. 

“Yes, both ways, and a few hours spent watching the world in between,” Zenyatta reached down to brush his hand over a patch of snow, the texture feeling softer than liquid water. “But the journey will be just as beautiful as the destination, I promise.”

Spring was coming early this year, and the lower half of the mountain was just starting to bloom in gorgeous colour. The two were on their way to see it in the mouth of a low valley, one of the best places there was to see the season. It was a perfect chance not only for Genji to to get a breath of rich mountain air, but also to relax away from the home of his newfound stresses.

“Easy for you to say,” he muttered. “You aren’t even walking.”

“Am I? What you see might not be what is true.”

“How are you walking a foot above the path, then?” Genji stopped to prove his point, assuming that his master would do the same, yet Zenyatta continued down the trail without him. 

He only answered Genji’s question once he could hear feet slowly shuffling behind him. Reluctant he may be, but Genji certainly wasn’t stubborn. His mind could be tuned with the right persuasion and coaxing, though it sometimes felt like turning fog into water rather than the other way around. 

“You think your path down the mountain is harder than mine because you’re doing it on foot,” he said once Genji was beside him, face curled into a frown. “But you haven’t considered that floating is my natural mode of movement. Being able to force myself upwards and forwards takes about the same effort that it takes you to walk, or a duck to swim, or perhaps a bird to fly.”

“But you don’t have to worry about finding footholds.” Genji grumbled, the path ironically getting steeper as he did. 

“Perhaps I don’t. But when I move, I must consider the same things you do when figuring out where to put your feet. Where I will be closest to the ground, where I can safely go without risking a fall are both things I have to worry about before moving another inch forward. Struggle presents itself differently to everyone.”

Zenyatta reached down to shift a rock out of Genji’s way. “Not to mention you’re moving on two legs, and I can only work with none.”

He chuckled, looking up into the snowy mountains now high above them. Living on top of a mountain was a life filled with benefits, the view being just one of many. It was quite the dramatic change for Genji after living in the bunkers of Blackwatch, the operative division he’d been with, for four years. Perhaps he saw beyond those dusty windows while travelling on his own, but Zenyatta knew there was little else in the world that could be compared with the nature around this range of mountains. 

“When we get there, what are we going to do?” Genji asked as they crossed over an icy patch, his feet struggling to grip onto the surface. Zenyatta stretched out a hand to help him over, but Genji ignored it, and wobbled across by himself. 

“Oh, anything you want,” he shrugged. “I may observe the plants that have bloomed since I last visited the area. Or I might climb into the branches of a large tree. I might even rest in the grass for a while, if the ground is warm enough. You’re welcome to join me at any time, Genji.”

Something told him that Genji wouldn’t be jumping at the chance to join him in any of what he’d suggested. Still, he would have to find some way to entertain himself. Spending time with Zenyatta had none of the fast-paced danger Genji had become accustomed to, but it was the life he agreed to live in order to accept himself, and it was the life Zenyatta was going to lead him into. 

“You could always tell a story to pass the time, you know.” he offered when Genji had been silent for a while.

“Are you asking to be told one?” Genji asked. 

“I have to admit, there isn’t much I know about you.” It was true - the two hadn’t had much time to get to know each other since Genji arrived. He must have missed his own company while travelling, judging by the amount of time he demanded to be alone in the monastery. “I would be grateful to hear what your life was like before we crossed paths.”

“I am not sure if you’d enjoy any of those details.” Genji said, kicking a small rock down the slope below. 

“It might be hard for you to believe, but good things come with opening up to others.” Zenyatta told him. “Trust me enough to tell me a single story, and you’ll soon find it easy to tell me the things that mean the most to you.”

While he knew Genji wasn’t going to break the silence on his past right now, Zenyatta hoped he might at least see the point of doing so. This was the smallest step forward he could think of; a traverse down the mountain instead of a nose dive, which he was sure would make his companion feel at least a little safer having a conversation with him. 

But Genji just sighed, and kicked another rock. “Now that you ask, I really can’t think of any.”

“Don’t rush. There will be more than enough time to think of one, and I’ll always be willing to listen.” At least the idea was planted into his head. As long as he knew Zenyatta was not someone to be feared, and that he could trust him, his path to change would have many footholds to stand on. 

Genji stayed quiet as they kept walking, hopefully thinking of a story, but most likely only stewing. Zenyatta hoped he would get to know him sooner rather than later - the task would be hard, and it would likely come with more resistance than acceptance. Unravelling Genji’s mystery would take time, which, luckily, Zenyatta always had an abundance of. 

And, just as importantly, Zenyatta had patience. He could wait a few weeks to allow Genji his comfort, just as he could wait the three hours it would take to reach the valley. Both would certainly be wonders worth waiting for. 

 

Once they stepped over the last boulder blocking the path, Zenyatta and Genji had reached the valley. But, it wasn’t the colourful paradise Zenyatta had hoped it would be. Winter was overstaying its welcome, and the area was still splotched with grey and white in the form of dirty snow and ice. On the bright side, the air was light, warm, and fresh, and as Genji took his first breath, his face loosened into an expression of pleasure. 

“It seems spring doesn’t want to come early everywhere.” Zenyatta hummed as he floated inside. Genji’s pace sped up to overtake him, surprisingly, as he continued to look around in awe. “Oh, well. We will have to come back down another time.”

“You mean we’re leaving?” Genji turned around. “After we walked all this way?”

“Oh, no. We will stay for now, but I still think you should see the valley in its full summer bloom sometime later.” Despite the remnants of snow, the valley was just as peaceful as always. The quiet chirps of birds flying overhead was a calming, yet lively sound, and the trickle of a little stream nearby made for pleasurable white noise to meditate to. 

Leaving Genji to explore, Zenyatta floated over to a cedar tree and settled down, letting his orbs of harmony unfold from their ring around his neck. While they were not his most prized possession, they were comfort items he often carried to toy around with. Like Genji’s sword, they were worn and weary, but looked like masterpieces carved of metal when captured by the day’s light. 

“Would you have considered it a waste to have come here just to leave, Genji?” Zenyatta watched Genji approach the stream cautiously. Most of it was clear running water, but a few sections were still covered by ice, blocking the flow’s pathway to its basin. 

“It would’ve felt like a waste of time,” Genji reached his hand towards the water, and slowly dipped his fingers in just to yank them out immediately. “I would’ve spent three hours avoiding low branches and ice-covered rocks all for nothing.”

“Not all work pays off immediately. The best rewards come when you no longer see them as a reward.” The harmony orbs began to circle Zenyatta slowly, glowing as they bobbed. Genji stared with a question forming on his lips that didn’t manage to escape. 

“How long will we stay for?” he asked instead. The stream had bored him, and he was now moving on to a rocky face of the mountain, just low enough to boulder along.

“As long as you like. Though, I would prefer to start back before the sun goes down. I find it much easier to climb a mountain when I can see where I am going.” 

Genji nodded, leaping onto the mountainside and finding his grip easily. He reached for a rock further up, climbing like a salamander to get a full five feet off the ground within just two seconds. He certainly had some skill. Perhaps Blackwatch was not the only experience he had with scaling surfaces like this. 

Bouldering kept Genji pleased for longer than anything else had today. Zenyatta tried to leave him be, keeping his focus on the silver glint of the orbs instead, but managed to keep a watch on his student out of the corner of his sensors. Every now and again he would misjudge a reach and come falling down, but with a groan and a lunging jump forward, he was right back to where he’d left off. 

The afternoon passed peacefully for the both of them. After about an hour of climbing, Genji moved on to other ways to explore the valley. He was quite creative with figuring out how to pass the time, as Zenyatta noticed. All the things he did were unique, but engaging at the same time; clearing snow off of vines, following the river as far as it could be seen, sparring with tree trunks and finally just running laps, sliding across the ice and leaping high over any branches in his way. 

Whatever it was about the valley that drew Zenyatta had done something odd to Genji. He’d always been impatient while up in the monastery, but here, he was satisfied with every activity he chose to do. Perhaps it was a small step forward - a sign that he was finally learning how to be satisfied. If he could understand what made him relaxed, engaged and pleased all at the same time, surely it wouldn’t be hard to calm down whenever boredom got the best of him. 

“Are you enjoying yourself, Genji?” Zenyatta asked once Genji tired of jumping around, and came to rest under the same cedar he was beneath. The sun had started to dip dangerously below the mountaintops, and they would need to start on their way back if they wanted to be safe. Still, Zenyatta found himself wishing they could stay just a minute longer, enjoy the warm air and cool weather before they had to return to the brisk, freezing monastery.

“This place is much more beautiful than I thought it would be,” Genji nodded. “I am surprised you didn’t want to join me in doing anything.”

“Oh, no. I only wanted a rest. The float down made my legs tired beyond belief.” Zenyatta said, hearing a small chuckle, and looked to see that Genji was grinning. It surprised him much more than it should’ve - he had never heard such a happy sound come from his student before. Were it yesterday, he wouldn’t have believed he could laugh at all.

“Well, I am happy you had the chance to relax,” Zenyatta continued, watching Genji closely as he lowered down into the grass, rolling onto his back and stretching his legs straight out. “Did you see any birds nearby?”

“No. I did hear a few, however. I’m sure you were already listening to them before I was.”

“Birds and Omnics don’t mix very well,” Zenyatta said. “Most of their songs are too high-pitched for my taste, and end up upsetting my receptors.”

“That’s too bad. I thought you might be one to enjoy them.” Genji let out a long exhale of breath, sinking closer to the earth. His face faced up towards the sky, eyes just barely avoiding the sun on its way to the horizon, breathing in deep as he ran his hands over the blades of grass. It struck Zenyatta so suddenly how human he was - beneath the cold metal and thick emotional armour, he was alive, breathing and growing into this new path he’d agreed to follow. 

How much more he wanted to appreciate him in that moment. There had been so little time in three weeks to get a word out of him, coax him and teach him, that he hadn’t been able to appreciate Genji for who he was and who he was going to be. Even here, he could see hope beneath the surface; once he got past the boulder of opening up to Zenyatta, the rest of his change would come as easily afterwards as snow falling down a mountain.

“I appreciate you talking with me, Genji.” Zenyatta decided to say. He wanted to know him well, and he couldn’t even begin to try without gaining his trust. The least he could do was push for it one last time today. “Even if we are only talking about trivial things, your thoughts are so wonderful to listen to. I’m looking forward to the day when I can hear them as often as possible.”

Genji shrugged, still lying down. “The things you say aren’t trivial. You make them seem important. Like everything is connected in a way I don’t understand.” Shifting, he began to sit up, leaning on his hands for support. “But I appreciate your company, as well. It’s been a very long time since I’ve talked.” 

He paused, both in his sentence and his movement. “To anyone, really.”

Zenyatta looked down at him again. It was as if he’d frozen, no longer looking up into the sky or even at the mountains; just down at the dirt. He was going to ask if something had upset him, but didn’t even get the chance to begin before he was interrupted. 

“You were asking for a story before,” Genji pushed himself up to sit on his tailbone, yet his eyes didn’t waver. “I think I have one you’d enjoy.”

“I’d be happy to hear it.” Zenyatta lowered his hovering frame towards the earth, touching the grass at Genji’s face level. Down here, he could meet his dark eyes, even see the little marks on his forehead. It was such a rare thing to see his student without his mask. The dry skin, scars and blemishes that laid beneath it had become unfamiliar with light, hidden beneath that metal shield for so long. How long it must’ve been since someone had brushed a hand across his jaw, or even ran their fingers along the lines of his scars. 

“A few years ago, after I left Europe, I was by myself.” Genji began with a shallow breath. “I didn’t want anyone I knew to follow me, so I left no warnings, notes, or instructions. All I wanted was to be away from noise, danger, death or killing after what we’d done.”

Zenyatta listened, silent in the place of speaking. Those details alone were more than Genji had ever told him before. It was as if a gear had clicked into place, or the last patch of ice had melted, and Genji had gained the strength to tell his master something that truly mattered. As the change had happened in him, it had also happened in the atmosphere; temperate air had become dry, and Genji’s small smile had soured into a numb, blank stare. 

“But I found my way into trouble anyway,” Genji continued, bobbing his head once. “It was only one disagreement with a stranger at first, then a fight, then another and more until I was right back to where I’d started. I was running away from enemies, hiding in desperate places, and cleaning up my injuries after every day ended.

“I think I was in Romania when this happened. A gang of locals had been picking fights with me, and while I’d fought back for a while, I eventually became outnumbered. Hiding was my solution, but the place I’d chosen wasn’t far enough out of their range. Every night I was waiting for someone to barge inside, try to kill me or take all my things, so I hid out beside the door with a weapon, expecting them to come.”

Zenyatta remained quiet. He had expected Genji’s experiences to be similar to what he was describing, but it still shook him to know it was true.

“One night I had gotten incredibly tired,” Genji kept going. “I’d been running around the town from sunrise to sundown, just to come home and wait for these people to jump in on me. But I was having trouble keeping myself awake, and was getting even more nervous when I snapped in and out of sleep while waiting.

“I was at the edge of my sanity when a crash came from inside my room. I shrieked, and cursed myself for making so much noise, but I couldn’t help it. You understand, right?” Genji looked up at Zenyatta for verification, the first time he’d looked up in a minute. 

“Of course,” he said, nodding for him to continue. Whatever he’d taken out of himself to tell this story couldn’t be put back; once change had started, it was impossible to stop.

“I summed up the courage to see who had broken in. I took my weapon and held it up, shouting for the person to show themselves and fight like a man, but no one said anything. It wasn’t until I lit the lamp that I saw what had gotten inside.”

“Was it an enemy?” Zenyatta asked, almost eagerly. 

But Genji shook his head. “It was a bird,” he said. “A sparrow. Just a tiny little body, wings and feet in all, perched on top of my sword and making all that commotion by itself.”

He chuckled again, but this time, it was not happily. “Watching it, I realized what a strange thing my life had become. I’d gone so long without being afraid, or keeping myself busy, that I’d forgotten what it was like to be safe. To only see pure things instead of horror. A sparrow was all it took to make me realize that I needed to change.”

He took a deep breath as the story ended. His hands left the grass and began to toy with the hilt of his sword, thumb brushing softly over the red rubber. With a swift tug, he pulled it out of the scabbard, and stared at the beaten blade. 

“This was where it was balanced.” His fingertips ran down the blade’s edge, metal sliding over metal like skates on ice. “The bird was right here. It felt like it was staring me down. I tried to shoo it away, but it started flying circles around the room. It wanted to stay.”

Genji paused. “They made it for me, you know. In Blackwatch. They gave it to me because there was no chance of ever getting a real one. It’s pathetic compared to what I once used.”

His mouth closed. He took his fingers off the blade, and set it down gently on the grass. Zenyatta didn’t say a word. Genji had never spoken about what had happened to push him Blackwatch, and had only discussed what happened after in vague details. Zenyatta had never pushed him to say anything, knowing they were stories that needed time to come out. And now, one had.

“I know you want to be kind to me, Zenyatta.” Genji said, his voice barely audible. “But I can’t trust you with everything yet. It has been a long, and difficult journey to get to where I am now, and I know it will be an even harder one to get to where I want to go. Hopefully, I will be able to tell you everything, sooner rather than later. But not yet. Not yet.”

“I understand, Genji,” Zenyatta’s reassurance was softer than the breeze. “What you have just done is the first step forward of many. I’m glad I have given you the strength to take it. When you are ready to walk forward further, I will be ready as well.”

They let the moment be. Genji didn’t nod, but Zenyatta knew he understood. The impatient cyborg he had known before coming to this valley was not the same forbearing student he was sitting beside now. This was the first story of many Genji had to tell, the first time he’d trusted Zenyatta with what mattered the most. And it was also the first time Zenyatta had been able to appreciate Genji for the person he was, and who he was yet to be. 

As the sun dipped below the mountains and turned blue sky into grey, Genji leaned back into the grass, and Zenyatta let him stay. For the both of them, just being here was simple bliss. Perhaps, if they kept having moments like this, it wouldn’t take long for Zenyatta to unravel Genji’s mystery at all.

Still, if it did, Genji would be a wonder worth waiting for.

**Author's Note:**

> please leave a comment or kudo if you enjoyed! tumblr is @ggdragons if you want to see more!


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